Liquid evacuating system



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1935 Invcnlor fl ZJJSLZ Z 7% 537272" 5,

. A ltomey Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID EVACUATING SYSTEM Russell W. Sinks, Dayton, Ohio Application June 18, 1935, Serial No. 27,263

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an evacuating system that permits liquid to flow efliciently by gravity from a container through a valve that admits displacing air simultaneously with the discharge 5 of the liquid.

One of the features of the present invention is the arrangement of tubes communicating with the liquid outlet and air inlet which are interconnected by branch tubes whereby a hermetic seal is maintained in the tank until the liquid level is'very low.

The system finds particular use in dispensing containers wherein volatile liquids are stored which may create an increased pressure within the container. Another advantage of the present invention is that the construction lends itself to dispensing beer inasmuch as the gases and Vapors are retained in the container and therefore no matter how often beer is drawn, that 2(} portion remaining in the container will not become fiat.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a dispensing tank of the character referred to that is strong, compact and durable, thoroughly 25. reliable for its intended purpose, very simple in construction and operation and that is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of a novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is disclosed an embodiment of the invention;

but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationsmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a dispensing tank embodying an evacuating system constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on lines 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the base memher of the valve housing.

Figure 6 is a face view of one of the gaskets.

Figure '7 is a face view of the valve plate.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates generally a container or tank of any desired shape and for the purpose of illustration there is shown a tank of cylindrical configuration having a circular side wall 1 and end walls 8, 9 joined to the ends of the sidewall. A threaded filling opening 10 may be located at various points and for convenience I have shown this opening 'at 6. the top of the side wall to one side of the tubes so as not to interfere with the tubes, and this opening is closed to make an air tight fit by the cap II. It will be understood that in'the assembled relation the tank is air tight. 10

Adjacent the lower margin of front end wall 8 are a pair of circular openings l2, l3 through which extend outer portions of the air displacing tube l4 and the liquid outlet tube I5 as will be understood by referring to Figure 4 of the draw- II ings. These openings are in diametric alignment with each other and the tubes are rigid. Liquid outlet tube I5 is straight and is placed as nearly parallel to the bottom of the tank as possible and terminates in an open inner end ad- 2Q jacent the inner wall 9. The inner end of tube [5 terminates as close to inner wall 9 as possible, but the space between the wall and end of the tube should be suflicient 'to insure no capillary restriction of the liquid between the wall and 5 the end of the tube. A safe distance between the end of the tube and the wall 9 has been found to be from one-third to the full diameter of the tube I5. Air displacing tube 14 may be of compound curvature as shown, or it may be straight, 30 but it is diverging fromjtube 45 from the front wall 8 to the back wall 9. The inner end of tube 14 terminates at a point spaced from the end wall 9 substantially the same distance as the tube l5. Tube l4 also terminates as close to' the top 5 wall of the tank as possible. Both tubes lie substantially in the same plane and the branches to be hereafter described, lie in the plane with the tubes. The compound curvature of tube l4 should be such that the curves in the tube'will 40 not permit the trapping of air entering the tank to replace the liquid being drawn therefrom.

There is a branch tube l6 inclining rearwardly at an angle and the ends of this tube join and communicate with tubes l4 and I5. Tube I6 is 45 straight and is positioned in the tubes l4 and I5 at a point from front end wall 8 at least twice the length of the branch tube IS. The incline of this branch tube l6 should be at such an angle that will most readily relieve the pressure in the 50 tube [4. Another branch tube H is curved rearwardly and joins and communicates with air displacement tube [4 at one end and the liquid outlet tube l5 at the other end. Branch tube I'I joins tube [5 adjacent the inner end thereof and 56 tube 4 at a point outwardly of a perpendicular to its juncture with the tube l5. By extending the two branches between liquid outlet tube and air displacement tube at the points indicated, this arrangement reduces the liquid pressure in tube l4 while liquid is being withdrawn from the container, thereby reducing the air resistance in the air displacement tube.

The valve housing is indicated generally at B and consists of a circular base member I8 and a circular cap member l9. The base member has a flat inner face secured to the lower portion of front wall 8 of the tank. Base member l8 and cap member 9 are formed with peripheral flanges 20, 2| respectively which when assembled have the edges in abutting relation. The abutting edges of the flanges form an internal, circular valve chamber 22 between the confronting faces of the baseand'cap member. The inner end of spindle bolt 23 is anchored in the center of the base'member l8 and extends outwardly from the aperture in the cap member and has a nut 24 on the free end that holds the valve housing in assembled relation.

There are a pair of circular openings 25, 26 in the cap member in diametric alignment with each other and the upper opening 25 is counter bored as at 21 to receive the end of the air displacing tube l4. Lower opening 26 is counter bored as at 28 to receive the outer end of liquid outlet tube l5. It will be seen that these openings 25, 26 are in communication with the interior of the'tank through the respective tubes that are in registry therewith. Cap member I9 is formed with a circular opening 29 which is in alignment with opening 25 and through this opening. 29 air passes into the liquid displacement tube I4. There is a spout 39 on the cap l9 having the passage 3| therein and this'passage is in alignment with opening 26 in the base member.

For about a quadrant of the circumference the confronting edges of the flanges 26, 2| are cut away to provide a slot 32 in the periphery of the valve housing B and this slot communicates with the valve chamber 22. One of these cutaway portions is indicated at 32 on the flange of the base member shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. A flat disk valve plate 33 is rotatably mounted in the valve chamber 22 on an intermediate portion of the spindle bolt 23 which passes through a central opening 34. The edges of the valve plate 33 bear snugly against the outer walls of the valve chamber to make an air tight fit. Extending through the valve plate 33 are a pair of valve ports 35, 36 which ports are in 'diametric alignment with each other. From the periphery of the valve plate 33 is an outwardly projecting extension 31 which is disposed at right angles to the diameter passing through the valve ports and this extension projects through the slot 32 so that the ports may be brought into registry with and closed with respect to the aligned openings in the cap member and base member. On the outer end of extension 3] is a handle 38.

To make an air tight fit between the confronting faces of the valve plate 33 and the walls of the chamber 22 there are a pair of gaskets mounted one to each side of the valve plate and one of these gaskets is shown in Figure 6 of the drawings and indicated at 39. In the center of the gasket'is an opening 40 through which extends spindle bolt 23 whereby the disk is securely held in position. Each of the disks are formed with diametrically aligned openings 6!, 42.' The upper opening 4| registers with the aligned open ings 25 in the base member and 29 in the cap member while the lower opening 42 registers with the inner end of passage 3| and the opening 26 in the base member. It will thus be seen that when the extension 31 is in a vertical position as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings no air will be passing through tube I4, nor will there be any liquid discharged from the spout. By turning the extension approximately forty-five degrees, the ports 35 and 36 in the valve plate will register with the aligned openings in the cap and base member whereby air will be admitted to the air displacement tube l4 and liquid discharged from the spout 30. It will therefore be obvious that air is simultaneously admitted to the interior of the tank A when the liquid is discharged from the spout 3| thereby allowing air falls below the inner terminals of the tubes 14' and i5. When the container is resting on the front wall 8, the hermetic seal is maintained until the liquid level falls below the point where branch |6 joins the tube 4. When the container is resting on side wall 1 with the tube |5 at the bottom,

the liquid will at all times evacuate freely through the open valve until the liquid level is below the tube l5.

' Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a tank formed with a pair of openings in spaced relation to one another, one for a liquid outlet and the other for an air inlet to displace the liquid, a liquid discharge tube disposed in the tank and communicating with the outlet opening, an air displacement tube disposed in the tank and communicating with the air inlet opening, said tubes diverging from each other from a point where they communicate with the openings, said tubes joined by plural branches between the free terminals and the points where they communicate with the openings, and a valve for controlling said openings.

2. The combination with a tank formed with a pair of openings in spaced relation to one another,

the tubes communicate with the openings, said tubes joined by plural branches between the free terminals and the points where they communicate with the openings, and a valve for simultaneously controlling said openings.

3. A valve comprising a housing formed with a base and cap member adaptedto be assembled in face to face relation, said base member adapted to be carried by a tank formed with a pair of openings to be controlled by the valve, said base and cap member formed withperipheral flanges having their free edges in abutment to provide a continuous internal valve chamber coextensive tension arm projecting through said slot, and a pair 01' apertured gaskets disposed one to each side of the valve plate to make a tight fit between the valve plate and the walls of the valve chamber, and means for securing the cap, gaskets and 5 valve plate together to make an air tight valve.

RUSSELL W. SINKS. 

